Geqege peichaed and john kienaedt



G. PRICHARD '89 J. KIENARDT.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

Patented Feb. 6, 1877.

FIG 2.

,- JNVENTORS:

Maw Az,

W1 Tzvla'sszs flzP'ETERS. mom-umoomruzn. WASHINGTON a c To all whom it may concern:

Enron 'sAiDfla K ENARDT ASSIGNOR or HIS RIGHT TO NATHAN sorsroan,

OF SAME 'PLAoEJ fiM RQVEME NT IN cARB T-fs RETcHE S; 1

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 187,046, dated February 6, 1877; application filed August 19, 1876.

Be it known that we, GEORGE PRIGHARD and JOHN KIENARDT, both of Lockport, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements on Carpet-Stretchers and we do hereby declare that the following description of our invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings,

' spending parts in both figures.

A is the main bar of our stretcher. It con sists of a rectangular piece of material, wood or metal, of suitable-length and thickness, upon the upper side of which is secured a rack, B, by means of the lugs b and screws 0, and on its front extremity a bifurcated steel hook, C, by means of the bolt 01. The rack B has a serrated edge or teeth, wherewith engages the segment-wheel D, provided with teeth corresponding to those of the rack B. The center of the wheel formsthe fulcrum for the lever E, cast in one piece with the segment-wheel D, and provided with a handle, F, for operating the device. The wheel is pivoted within a bifurcated frame or bracket, G, attached to the transverse bar H by means of the lugs j and screws g. This bar is provided with a series of properly-bent hooks, h, arranged in two rows in a zigzag manner. Pivoted within the frame G is a pawl, I, engaging with the rack B, in a manner to be hereinafter fully explained.

The bracket G, rack B, and combined whee and lever D E are cast-iron, while the two bars A and H are, preferably, constructed of good hard wood, and the whole device is operated in the following manner: The transverse bar B being placed near the extreme end of the longitudinal bar A, the teeth y are slightly forced into the carpet to'be laid down, and the bifurcated hook O placed close up to the wall, or beyond the line which the carpet is intended to reach. The handle F is then taken hold of, and manipulated by pushing it toward the wall, or in the direction in which the carpet must be stretched, taking care that the teeth of the wheel D keep in contact with the rack B.

This operation has the effect of pulling or dragging the transverse bar H, and with it the carpet to be stretched, along until the lat ter is properly adjusted, when the pawl I, engaging with the nearest tooth ot' the rack B,

.will prevent it from receding until the carpet is properly secured in place, when the apparatus is removed and again placed upon the carpet at a point sufficiently far away from that just acted upon, and the operations repeated until the whole carpet is properly laid down. 4

The whole apparatus, being readily manufactured at a very small expense, can be soldat such a low figure as to be within the reach of all who have occasion to use. such a device.

It will be observed that the wheel, being fulcrumed or pivoted within the bracket Gr, operates the short arm of the lever E, and, on account of its being a segment of a circle, allows the device to be operated, no matter what position said lever may occupy in relation to the rack. This arrangement has, therefore, the advantage of being operative in obstructed places, where other devices would fail to accomplish the desired result, because it will operate in any position of the lever as long as there is sufficient room to operate the long arm of the lever far enough to pull the transverse bar H ahead for the space of one tooth of the rack B. The ratchet-pawl always holds the bar H in its place until a new purchase of the lever E is obtained. It will be further observed that the hook O is double-pointed, or consisting of two hooks placed some distance apart. This arrangement serves to steady the longitudinal bar A, double row of curved teeth h, the whole conand thereby guides the wheel D in its move went over the rack B.

Having thus fully described our invention, we desire to secure to us by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

As a new article of manufacture, a carpetstretcher composed of the following elements, viz: the bar A, rack B, double-pointed hook 0, segment D, and lever E, constructed of one piece of metal, bracket G, with the pivoted pawl I, and the transverse bar H, having the strueted and arranged to operate substantially as deseribed and stated. v v

In testimony whereof we have hereto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE PRIGHARD. JOHN KIENARDT.

Attest GEORGE E. SMITH, BROWN QUAOKENBUSH. 

